Post by Dave on Apr 17, 2017 9:27:48 GMT
Match Officials: Phillip Eddie / Hilary Achegenui / Kubilay Esmer
Final Score Buckland Athletic 4 Brislington FC 1
Match Preview
My third game of the Easter Holiday and Buckland Athletics’ last home game of the season. I must confess I was torn this morning between choosing to go to the Heath and support the mighty Bucks, or go to Plainmoor a ground I have not stepped inside for four years, to give my support to the club that had been my life since I was big enough to wear a pair of long trousers.
It breaks my heart to see what is going on up at Plainmoor and I fear for the future of the club, even more so when I think back to all the great days I did enjoyed over those long fifty years as a supporter. Having enjoyed two wonderful games so far over Easter, did I really want to walk into a ground that will be full of doom and gloom if the home team fails to win?
Or would I rather spend the afternoon supporting a club that in my humble opinion is the best club in Devon for a whole host of reasons. My blood once ran blue and yellow, but I am a Buckland boy who grew up on the estate and I know these days my blood just runs yellow, the blue has gone.
Yes I will be at the Heath, a great happy place to be, but I will be checking my phone during the match checking up on the latest score at Plainmoor in the hope they can win and maybe somehow stay up and not fall even further down the football ladder.
With such a big game on up at Plainmoor, it will be unlikely Buckland will enjoy the large gate they did against Willand Rovers in their last home game, over two hundred were at the Heath for that match.
Another great season for the team in yellow with a top three finish possible, but that would depend on the team above them slipping up as Buckland themselves have two tough trips to finish off the season away at Bradford and Odd Down.
Both clubs league record before today’s game
Buckland were in forth place in the table on seventy six points. They had played a total of thirty five games, winning twenty four, drawing four and losing seven. Along the way they have scored a total of eighty nine goals and conceded forty four giving them a plus forty five goal difference.
Brislington FC were in eleventh place in the table on forty nine points. They had played a total of thirty four games, winning fifteen, drawing four and losing fifteen. They had scored a total of seventy three goals, conceded sixty six giving them a plus seven goal difference.
The two teams met on the 11th March 2017 when Buckland took on Brislington in an away fixture. Brislington ran out deserved winners by three goals to one and ended Buckland’s twelve game unbeaten winning run. In that game both sides had penalties saved by the keepers.
Buckland would most certainly be looking to ensure they win this match and prevent Brislington doing the double over them and more importantly win their final game at home this season for all their loyal supporters.
I can not end this match preview before heaping lots of praise on Ellis Laight, he had big shoes to fill when he took over as first team manager this season. What a great season he and the team have enjoyed not only in the league but a wonderful cup rum that so nearly saw the club reach a Wembley Final. Well done Ellis and all the players, staff and helpers at the Heath, feel proud of all the progress this fine club has made.
March Report
Just before the kick off the supporters player of the season was presented with his award.
A nice sunny afternoon at the Heath and a score line that never looked possible until the last quarter of he match. We saw all that is good about this Buckland side and at times all that is bad, let me explain.
The game kicked off and neither team were able to get on top and chances were few and far between. Buckland are normally a good passing side, but pass after pass went to the opposition and many of those passes were only short ones.
Buckland won the first corner of the match and the ball was played into the Brislington box and half cleared too the edge of it. Richard Groves hit a good clean shot that the Brislington keeper Chris Blammon just managed to tip over his crossbar and behind for another corner.
I started to wonder if the Buckland players had thought it was Christmas today and not Easter Monday as they seemed content of giving the other side the lead in the match. A mix up between Bucks keeper and a defender saw a Brislington player brought down in the box and the match referee pointed to the spot.
The penalty was struck against the right hand post and came back off it and Grant got a hand on the ball that made it go up in the air, he soon got up and made a great catch by the other post. Then Brislington’s Neikell Plummer fancied his chance from twenty yards out but his effort flew over the crossbar.
Bucks passing was not improving but they kept working hard and in one attack Simon Revell was brought down on the edge of the box. Up stepped Richard Groves to take the free kick, the defensive wall jumped but Richard played the ball low through a gap in the wall and into the back of the net. I’m not sure if the ball took a defection on its way as my pictures ( not all put in report) shows the keeper not even moving or looking at the ball.
Surely we would now see the Buckland we know, but sadly another big defensive cock-up saw Neikell Plummer lifting the ball over Grant Fisher into the back of the net. Brislington’s Aaron Cornwall could so easily have been given his marching orders for a very bad tackle, but the referee showed him the yellow card instead.
Jarad Lewington hit a fine shot that just cleared the crossbar as Buckland tried to retake the lead in the match. The referee blew up for halftime and at that point in the mach, one all was a fair enough score line.
The second half got underway and Brislington started the half brightly as they took the game to Buckland. It took Buckland a little while to get going but when they did they were just too strong all over the pitch for Brislington.
But it was Brislington who had the first real chance of the second half to regain their lead when Lames Batchelor took the ball down well and volleyed it goalward, but the ball ended up flying high over the bar.
Buckland won another free kick on the edge of the Brislington box, but this time Richard Groves hit it high over the crossbar and the game now was becoming an end to end affair.
Another Buckland free kick on the edge of the box and this time Richard Groves pulled a wonderful save out of the keeper Chris Blammon who got across his goal line making a one handed save just as the ball was going into the top right hand corner of the goal.
I was just writing this down in my notebook when Buckland took a free kick out on the right hand side that was headed home at the far post by Charlie Johansen . Two one to Buckland, would they hold onto their lead this time?
Brislington’s Neikell Plummer really should have got his side back onto level terms when he was in the box with just Grant Fisher to beat, the goal mouth was begging but the shot went over the crossbar.
It was soon three one to Buckland as they upped the pace of their game and went on raid after raid into the Brislington half. One good ball was headed onto Jared Lewington who then ran into the right hand side of the box an fired a low shot across the keeper into the far left hand corner of the goal. It was no more than he deserved for all the running he did during the game.
Another good ball down the left hand side this time played in Jordan Ewing to make it four one to Buckland with a great low and powerful shot. I believe it was his first goal for the first team.
An enjoyable game that only really came to life in the second half, but when Buckland are in the mood they were for that half, they are a very hard team to stop scoring.
Thanks to all my dear Buckland friends for your help today, see you all again newxt season.
